Red Fox Families

       The male red fox is a model father. In very few mammal families does the male take any active care of the young; he usually has nothing to do with the little ones and in some instances would even harm or kill them. But the dogs, wolves and foxes form an exception to this rule.

A family of red foxes.

       The young foxes, or pups, are born around April or May. Usually the home is an underground den, but it is sometimes in a hollow log or under a pile of brush. One litter of pups may number from four to nine. Each new-born fox has his eyes closed, is covered with lead-colored fur, and looks more like a kitten than a fox. For the first eight or nine days the male fox is not allowed in the den; he faithfully brings food and leaves it outside the den where the mother can get it. The little ones feed entirely on mother's milk during this time.

       The pups begin to open their eyes and see after a week or so but do not venture out from the den for three or four weeks. Then they begin to eat the food brought in by the parents: berries, mice, insects, rabbits, game birds and muskrats. They become quite active and play with each other with as much energy as young puppies do. They require almost constant watching, and the parents seem to take turns at baby tending and getting food. At the sign of danger the pups hurry into the den, for various larger animals, like the wolf, eagle and lynx, are eager to pounce upon them.

       The fox is noted for his intelligence and cunning. These traits are noticeable particularly in his methods of getting food, and the young ones must be taught the tricks of the foxes' trade. For instance, they are taught how to hunt and track down food by scent and sight. The first meals are brought to the little ones and placed outside the den; but gradually the father leaves the food farther and farther away, and it is hidden in the grass. If the hungry pups want to eat, they must scent and hunt down that food. Also, as soon as the foxes are able to walk, they are taught how to stalk beetles, grubs and field mice and pounce upon them. They are taught to "freeze" and wait for an animal to make the next move before they swoop down upon him. They have been known to stand thus silently for twenty minutes - ears pointed, tail slightly up, perhaps one paw lifted, nose directed toward the prey, and every inch of the animal at complete attention.

       As the young ones grow older, they grow bolder; each day they dare to go farther from the den; they catch more of their own food and become more alert for all danger. They gradually learn the cunning tricks attributed to foxes; they begin to backtrack when being hunted; they swim downstream, run walls, climb trees, and make numerous combinations of tactics to mislead the hunters.

       By fall the fox family breaks up; the pups have learned to take care of themselves; they are adults. Each seeks a hunting ground where he lives more or less alone until early spring when he finds a mate. Wood

After you have read about red fox families, watch these facts about foxes...

• Fox Facts for Children from Homeschool Pop.

Enhance this little lesson about foxes with paper doll crafts:
   1. Woodland Papercone Animals by petite lemon
   2. Forest Creatures Finger Puppets